Device for modifying the physical state of air.



P. BERARDI. DEVICE FOR MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STATE OF AIR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1909.

1,081,523. Patented Dec. 16,1913.

/I lg III Witnessea [ZZZ/621101 v FORTUNATO IBERARDI, OF NAPLES, ITALY.

DEVICE FOR MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STATE OF AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Application filed January 20, 1909. Serial No. 473,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FoRrUNA'ro BnaARDI, a subject of the King of Italy, and resident of Naples, in'the Kingdom of Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Modifying the Phys cal State of Air, of which the following is a specification.

Devices for modifying the physical state of air within rooms and the like are well known, they have however in practical use the inconvenience that their action on the air is too slow and feeble and confined only to the air immediately surrounding them, and that different devices have to be used, according to whether the air is to be cooled, warmed, scented, disinfected or modified 1n some other desired way.

The present invention has for its ob ect a device adapted to modify the state of air in large rooms and halls and in whole suites of rooms in a rapid and uniform way, said device being constructed so as to permit of its being used as well for the cooling as for the warming, or the perfuming, or the d sinfecting of the air or for modifying its state in any other way, whether these modifications are to be obtained separately or in suitable combination.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the fan wheel, front frame and net removed; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the heating device also removed, and Fig. 4 is a vertical axial section of the apparatus.

The device comprises a ventilator or fan 1 which may be actuated in any convenient way and which is surrounded by a metal frame net 2 projecting beyond the said fan for a small space 3. Behind the fan are arranged the means for modifying the state of the air, which, on being sucked by the fan, is obliged to pass through these means. A special feature of said modifying means is that they are placed entirely behind the fan and that they are permeable to the air which thus may easily pass through them.

If the device is to be used for warming the air, a circular tube 5 may be used, which is provided with small holes 41 for the escaping gas, each hole being surrounded by a small deflector 6. This circular tube has a branch pipe 7, which by means of a rubber tube may be easlly connected to a gas pipe.

Behind this tube are arranged the means for cooling, perfuming or disinfecting the air, and they are separated from the said tube by a suitable partition 8 of wire-netting. These means may consist for instance, of a veil of woven fabric held to the casing by means of suitable holders 9. To keep the cloth wet, a pipe 11 may be provided which has small branches 10 provided with small openings to eifect a spraying of the liquid on the cloth. Between the holders of the cloth 9 may be placed scented flowers 12 or the like, or perfumed or disinfecting means may be arranged in small receptacles lt of wire-netting which are separated from the said holders by another partition of wire-netting 13. The cylindrical frame 2 of wire-netting is divided at 15 in two parts; said parts being in a suitable way pivoted to the two sides 16 and 1'? of the fan, so as to allow of the frame being opened and the means between the two partitions 8 and 13 changed. Below the space between the two partitions and on both sides of the fanwheel are provided two receptacles 18 to collect the water discharged from the tubes 10.

The special arrangement of the frame 2, 3 of wire-netting which surrounds the fan and projects beyond it for a small space, gives to the current of air which is thrust forward from the fan, the shape of a cylinder, instead of that of a cone, as is the case with most of the other similar devices at present in use. The air thus proceeds with great compactness in an almost horizontal direction and for a much longer distance than would be the case if it had the shape of a cone, and the modified air thus diffuses itself in the whole room and not only in the immediate neighborhood of the fan. The present device is for this reason particularly useful for hospitals in which the apparatus may be placed in the first several rooms whlch are communicating with each other; by it, the air may be modified in the whole room or rooms, and the current of air produced by the fan will not molest the invalids, as it passes in the shape of a cylinder between the single beds.

With one single apparatus, according to whether the gas which escapes from the tubes 10, is lighted, or whether liquid is allowed to pass onto the cloth, or whether scented flowers 12 are placed between the holders of the cloth whose moisture may serve to keep the flowers fresh, or finally whether disinfecting or perfumed means are placed in the receptacle 14:, the air may be warmed or cooled, scented and disinfected at will, it being possible to use any of these modifying means separately or in combination with one or several of the other means. A further advantage of the present device is that the air sucked by the fan is obliged to pass wholly through the modifying means, with which it comes thus into much more intimate contact than is the case in most other devices.

hat I claim is:

1. In a device for modifying the physical state of air, the combination of a fan wheel; a cylindrical wheel of fine wire-netting coaxial with the fan wheel and extending forward of and to the rear thereof; a spaced pair of walls of wire netting behind the fan wheel; an absorbing material between the Walls; a. perforated coil of pipe between the fan wheel and the front wall; means for feeding gas to said liquid to said material.

2. In a device for modifying the physical pipe; means for feeding state of air, the combination of a fan Wheel; a cylindrical wheel of fine wire netting coaxial with the fan wheel and extending forward of and. to the rear thereof; a spaced pair of walls of wire netting behind the fan wheel; an absorbing material between the walls; a perforated coil of pipe between the fan wheel and the front wall; means for feeding gas to said pipe; means for feeding liquid to said material,.said pipe being provided with nozzles and deflectors surrounding the same;

3'. In a device of the class described, the combination of a fan; a heating means and a moistening means both situated behind the fan for simultaneous treatment of the air, the heating means comprising an annular burner tube having gas escaping apertures in the front thereof and deflectors surrounding the apertures.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

F ORTUNATQ BERARDI. WVitnesses:

CAR. PROF. OLIN'ro GHILARDI,

GIVANHINNTRI'FARIZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents; each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

